Army Chief On "Disruptive Tech" vs "Conventional Warfare"

Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Thursday stressed the imperative need for the Indian Army to adapt to the unprecedented changes unfolding in the geopolitical landscape. Speaking at NDTV's maiden Defence Summit, General Pande called for a self-reliant and future-ready Indian Army amid rapid technological advancements in modern warfare.

"While conventional war has undergone rapid technological progression, disruptive technologies are transforming the character of modern wars and blunting the conventional combat ratios, which was the measure of (a) military's strength and superiority in the past," he said.

The Army Chief went on to highlight the diversification of warfare into new domains, including cyber, electromagnetic spectrum, information, and space. General Pande said these emerging domains play a key role in the contemporary battlefield, and urged the Indian Army to adapt and excel in these areas to maintain a competitive edge.

"Access to modern technologies is not limited to superpowers but non-state actors can access such technology. The asymmetry in conflict has increased the risk of a fallout with an increased propensity of risk-taking behaviour to initiate a low-threshold armed conflict," he said.

"Our legacy challenges of unsettled borders continue and newer threats in the spectrum of conflict have added complexity and the grey zone actions and aggressions from adversaries are manifesting across domains - Land, sea, and air," General Pande added.

Drawing insights from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, General Pande highlighted potential repercussions for the global supply chain of weapons and technology. With countries gatekeeping critical niche technology, the Indian Army faces the risk of lagging behind.

"We are actively engaged in 45 niche technologies and 120 indigenous projects with direct implications for the military. The Indian Army's vision is a transformation into a modern, agile, adaptive, technology-enabled force ready to deter and triumph in wars across multiple domains, safeguarding our national interests," he said.

General Pande stressed the army's strategic focus on countering hybrid warfare as part of its approach to confront low-scale conflicts.